Zephaniah, also spelled Sophonias (flourished 7th century bc), Israelite prophet, said to be the author of one of the shorter Old Testament prophetical books, who proclaimed the approaching divine judgment. The first verse of the Book of Zephaniah makes him a contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah (reigned c. 640–609 bc). The prophet’s activity, however, probably occurred during the early part of Josiah’s reign, for his criticism of the worship of certain gods in Jerusalem (Baal, Milcom, and the host of the heavens) would have been meaningless after Josiah’s reform, which took place about 623/622 bc.

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The Book of Zephaniah, the ninth book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, is written in three chapters. Composed by the prophet Zephaniah in the latter part of the 7th century bce, the book is an attack against corruption of worship in Judah, probably before the great Deuteronomic reform took place. Zephaniah attacked the religious syncretism that had become established, especially the worship of...

...bce) and Ashurbanipal (reigned 668–627 bce). Judah benefitted from the increase in commerce that resulted from the political unification of the entire Middle East. The prophet Zephaniah (7th century bce) attests to heavy foreign influence on the mores of Jerusalem—merchants who adopted foreign dress, cynics who lost faith in the power of YHWH to do anything, and...